The Grooming Industry's Favorite Trade Magazine!

Trade Shows Part 1

Groom Expo

The Grooming Industry’s Premier Event

Groom Expo welcomes nearly 5,000 groomers and other pet care professionals to the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, PA. After 25 years, Groom Expo continues to grow and maintains its title as the largest grooming show in the world.

Every September at Groom Expo, Barkleigh offers a weekend of events for the grooming industry, including four days of educational seminars. Classes include demonstrations and seminars by the leading experts in grooming, animal behavior, boarding, retail, and business.

The Groom Expo event also includes three full days of trade show, where attendees can find deals at over 170 booths. Products include clippers, shampoos, combs, tables, tubs, and thousands of other products – often at special show prices. The trade show is also an excellent opportunity to see products in action and to ask vendors questions.

In addition to world-class education and its huge trade show, Friday and Saturday at Groom Expo also feature the GroomOlympics competition, which will be IJA and GroomTeam sanctioned beginning in 2013. Beginner to expert groomers compete in four different classes: Poodle, All Other Purebreds, Salon Freestyle, and Sporting/Terriers and More. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three groomers in each of the three skill levels of the GroomOlympics Tournament. The top prize, sponsored by PetSmart, is $5000 for the Level 3 GroomOlympics World Champion.

The competition also includes Sunday’s ever popular creative styling contest. Groomers use their skill in styling and coloring to transform their dog into an impressive work of art. Following the grooming portion of the competition, the contestants present their entry to the judges and the audience, often using a skit or a song to entertain the crowd. Though the contestants are vying to be one of the top three groomers in the competition, they also hope to win the People’s Choice Award and an appearance on the cover of Groomer to Groomer. Winning the cover is often the motivation to win for many of the contestants.

Groom Expo is also one of the big grooming industry social events of the year. The opening night party is always a fun event and is free to all attendees. Previous themes have included a prom, cruise ship deck party, and a Wild West-themed party complete with mechanical bull. Prizes are often awarded to those with the best costume or to the winners of various contests during the party.

Saturday evening at Groom Expo features the prestigious Barkleigh Honors Awards dinner. Hosted by Jay Scruggs, the Barkleigh Honors Awards dinner is an annual event that celebrates and honors the accomplishments of the industry and individual groomers in categories like Competitive Groomer of the Year, Speaker of the Year, and Vendor of the Year. The awards also include the Sally Liddick Lifetime Achievement Award, whose previous winners are industry icons Sam Kohl and Jerry Schinberg.

Groom Expo 2013 runs from September 19 to 22 in Hershey, PA. Go to www.groomexpo.com for more information.

Groom and Kennel Expo

The Grandest Grooming Show in the West

World Cup Grooming Games Champion, Deborah Ryan with (from left to right) IJA Judges Christine Speerin and Vivian Nash and Mary Meeks of Nature’s Specialties.

Groom & Kennel Expo, the largest grooming show west of the Mississippi River, returns to Southern California for another exciting weekend of competition, trade show, and education. Attendees travel from as far as Australia and Japan to enjoy all that Groom & Kennel Expo has to offer. Last year’s show brought nearly 3000 attendees to the Pasadena Convention Center, and Barkleigh expects that number to continue to grow in 2013.

Many groomers travel to Pasadena every February to participate in the grooming competitions held Friday through Sunday. Starting in 2013, groomers competing in the World Cup Grooming Games will have the opportunity to earn GroomTeam points as they vie for thousands of dollars in cash prizes. Three levels of competition skill will be offered in four different classes: Poodle, All Other Purebreds, Salon Freestyle, and Sporting/Terriers and More.

Another exciting grooming competition is Sunday’s Creative Styling Contest, an event that has appeared on Animal Planet and was featured on TLC’s “Extreme Poodles.” The winner of the creative grooming People’s Choice Award will appear on the cover of Groomer to Groomer magazine.

Attendees have three full days to peruse the aisles of the Groom & Kennel Expo trade show, taking advantage of special show deals and checking out some of the newest products out on the market. With over 100 booths, the trade show is a wonderful opportunity to stock up on salon necessities or update equipment. Admission to the trade show also includes the viewing of grooming competitions and vendor demonstrations.

Industry experts will also offer demonstrations as part of the educational seminars available at Groom & Kennel Expo. Attendees will have the opportunity to take four days of classes, which include grooming demos by champion groomers and hands-on first aid classes. Business and marketing experts from the pet care industry will also lead seminars to share their knowledge and expertise with attendees.

For the first time at Groom & Kennel Expo, Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs will be leading a special track of educational seminars dedicated to the boarding and daycare industry. They will be teaching 15 hours of classes about off-leash play groups, managing boarding kennel staff, and other related topics. Pet care professionals like kennel operators, dog daycare owners, or groomers who offer boarding services will enjoy classes focused on the successful operation of boarding and daycare facilities.

Atlanta Pet Fair

The Official Groomer’s Spring Break

Best in Show winner Amy Triezenberg with judge Jodi Murphy, Felix Gresham of sponsor Andis, and show manager Ann Stafford.

For 25 years, with over 2,200 attendees, 100+ exhibitors, and 90+ lectures, the Atlanta Pet Fair is the place to be. One of the first grooming shows of the year, the Atlanta Pet Fair is a blend of southern hospitality and grooming innovation. Groomers come from around the world to check out the cutting edge merchandise, learn the latest industry techniques, and compete in the world’s largest GroomTeam sanctioned competitions.

Looking for state-of-the-art products and ground-breaking technology? Atlanta Pet Fair is your one stop shop. From grooming paraphernalia, to mobile vans, our vendors have it all. Whether it’s something as simple as bows and shear sharpening or as complex as mobile vans and hydraulic equipment, Atlanta’s vendors will provide.

Top-notch speakers deliver a wealth of information to both novice and expert groomers. Regardless of how long you have been in the industry, there is always something new to learn. Our goal is to ensure everyone leaves more informed than when they arrived.

Are you a real social hound, or do you thrive on competition? Maybe both? Atlanta can meet your needs. Espree’s, “Meet and Greet” and the “Kenchii Party” brings groomers from all over together for fun, dancing, chitchat, and food. Want to meet your facebook friends and bloggers? Odds are they will be there. Additionally, the Atlanta Pet Fair has held the world’s largest grooming competition for over five years. Ranging from the standard to the creative, these competitions allow groomers to express their artistic nature, as well as rake in a little cash and prizes.

Whether it’s knowledge, competition, shopping, or good old fashion fun and convening, you don’t want to miss out on this experience. After all, Atlanta is considered the “official groomer’s spring break!” We hope to see you there.